title: Safety and efficacy of strategic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator programming to reduce the shock delivery burden in a primary prevention patient population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Strategically chosen ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular fibrillation (VF) detection and therapy parameters aimed at reducing shock deliveries were proven effective in studies that utilized single manufacturer devices with a follow-up of up to 1 year. Whether these beneficiary effects can be generalized to additional manufacturers and be maintained for longer periods is to be determined. Our aim was to evaluate the durability and applicability of the programming of strategic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) of various manufacturers, which is aimed at reducing the shock delivery burden in primary prevention ICD recipients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of 300 ICD recipients of various manufacturers was conducted; 160 devices were strategically programmed to reduce shocks and 140 were not. The primary endpoint was the composite of death and appropriate shocks. Additional outcomes were inappropriate shocks, syncope events, and non-sustained VTs. At a median follow-up of 24 months, 19 patients died, 31 received appropriate shocks, and 41 received inappropriate shocks. Multivariate analysis showed that strategic programming dedicated to shock reduction was associated with a 64% risk reduction in the primary endpoint [hazard ratio (HR): 0.13-0.93; P = 0.03] and a 70% reduction in inappropriate shock deliveries (HR: 0.16-0.72; P = 0.01). Very few syncope events occurred (five patients, 1.6%), and there was no between-group difference in this outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Utilization of strategically chosen VT/VF detection and therapy parameters was found to be effective and safe in ICDs of various manufacturers at a median follow-up period of 2 years among primary prevention patients.
authors.affiliation: Davidai Arrhythmia Center, Leviev Heart Center, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, 52621 Tel Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buber
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luria
authors.forename: Osnat
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gurevitz
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bar-Lev
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eldar
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glikson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D004554:Electric Countershock / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013575:Syncope / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Implantable cardiac defibrillators; Inappropriate shocks; Strategic programming